Apparatus for tanning



"(No Model.)

I R. J. MEISER. r APPARATUS FOR TANNING.

No. 366,785. Patented July 19, 1887.

.mmm?

N. PETERS. Fholo-l thograghgr, Washlnglnn, \7. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH J. MEISER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR TANNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,785, dated July 19, 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH J. MEIsER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Tanning, of which the following is aspecification.

In the process of tanning leather as heretofore practiced the sides of leather have been suspended in the tannic acid or other tanningfluid or agent by being folded over laths or sticks at intervals in the vat about midway of the ends of the sides. In this'way a raw streak has been left at such portion of the leather as lies upon the supporting lath or stick, and even when this portion is changed and moved away from its contact with such support the tanning process thereat is not so far advanced as the remainder of the leather. Another method more favored at present is that of suspending the sides at the head and tail ends thereof from hooks or pegs provided in each end of a frame rocking on a pivot, which moves and carries the suspended leather through the liquid in the vat, but always in unison, and the relation of all parts of one hide to those of another being constant, and on account of the unevenness and irregularity in the surface of the leather the tanning agent is not allowed to comein contact with all parts of such leather to such regular and uniform extent as to secure an even tanning thereof, and to secure in the tanning of leather the regular, uniform, and perfect effect thereon produced by the tanning agents is the object of the present invention; and it consists, in substance, in the combination,with a suitable actuating mechanism, of a pair of suitablyjournaled bars, each of which is provided with a series of hooks or leather-supports above its center of vibration and a similar series below its center of vibration, all arranged in relation to a tanning-vat and for operation substantially as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying plate of drawings, the apparatus constituting the present invention is illustrated, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a vat in which leather is tanned, and having located therein the parts constituting the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on line '0 and D are bars arranged one in each end of the vat, at the top thereof. These bars 0 D are each provided with two rows or series, a a (upper and lower,) of hooks E, or other pro jeetions for supporting leather, which extend from the inner side of said bars. The series a of hooks E is arranged to alternate with the hooks of the other row or series, a on each bar, as seen in Fig. 3. Each of the supportingbars C D is hung by a pivot or journal, I), in the side walls of the vat, and is susceptible of a toand-fro movement thereon when controlled and actuated by suitable mechanisin such, for instance, as will be now shown. The bar (J has a rigid upward arm, F, which is pivoted to a connectingrod, G, which at its other end, (I, is hung on the outer end of a crank, H, on a driving-shaft, J. The movement of the crank H imparts, through the connecting-rod G, to the arm F of the pivoted bar 0 a reciprocating motion, which oscillates the bar 0 about its center or journal B backward and forward; or, in other words, while the upper side of the bar C is carried or moved in wardly, its under side below its journal is carried in the opposite direction, or outwardly, and vice versa, under the action of the driving mechanism.

K is a connecting-rod which joins the arm F of the bar D, and through this connecting rod K the bar D is oscillated simultaneously with the bar 0, and with its upper and lower hooks carried in the same relative directions therewiththat is, when the upperside of the bar 0 moves inwardly the upper side of the bar D moves outwardly, and the lower side of one bar at such time moving outwardly while the other inwardly, and vice versa, in the con tinued operation.

It will be seen from the description of a mechanism substantially such as above described that in supporting the leather, hides, or skins to be tanned upon the hooks E, the first side of leather being uponthe upper hook, or in the series a of hooks E, and the next adjacent side upon a lower hook, or one of the series a and so on, in the operation of such parts used for carrying out this invention, as described, all the portions of leather on the upper hooks at one time are moved forward, while the portions on the lower hooks are moved backward, or in the opposite direction, and viceversa, all as is plain; and it is evident in the continued operation of the parts each side of leather moves as to its relation to the next adjacent side, in a different direction, and the relative position of every part of each side in relation to that of each and every other side is always changing and is never for an instant the same. r

The connecting-rodG between the crank H and the rigid arm F of the pivoted bar 0 is provided with a vertical slot, g, which lies over the pin it of the rigid arm F, and the connecting-rod is thus adapted to be detached from the driving mechanism when desired. It will be seen from an inspection of the'drawings, Figs. 2 and4, that the turned-up portions m of each hook E of the series. a a of hooks is in line with the center of rotation of their respective bars. The hides or sides X,being first punctured or pierced and hung on the hooks E, are in this way conveniently suspended, and when it is desired to remove the leather from its suspension the bar 0, through the leverage of its rigid arm F, or otherwise, (the connecting rod G being first detached,) is swung with its inner or hook side'do'wnwa-rdly on its center a sufficient distance and in a manner to bring the turned-up portion m of each book E in a downwa'rdlyinclinedposition, as seen in Fig. 4, and, as is obvious, the sides from their weight and tension will slip off the hooks. This method of releasing one end of each side is very practical and of great convenience in the carrying out of this invention. As the leather'suspended between th'e hooksof the two bars 0 D is more or less taut, and the exertion of considerable strength would ordinarily be required in the displacement of the one end of each side from its respective'ho'ok in the practice of the method above described, the removal of the one end of each hide or side, as will be seen, is automatic and most simple. One end of'each hide having been displaced from its respective hook,

the other end is then removed from its other hook by lifting the hide in a manner to draw it off "such hook.

While in the 'descri ption and illustration of the method of changing or varying the posievery side is vibrated and in a direction the reverse of that of the next adjacent side.

It is obvious that from the agitation of the sides of leatherin relation to the other sides in the tanning-liquid in a vat, as described, a most full and complete circulation and contact of the tanning-liquid is obtained about and upon such leather, and the tanning process is more readily, effectually, and uniformlycarried out, for it is clear that if a portion of one side of leather lies against an other, as is always the case, due to the unevenness or irregularity in the surfaces of the sides, such contact and consequent prevention of the circulation of the tanning-liquid is obviated by the described vibration of the leather.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination, with a suitable actuating mechanism, of a pair of journaled bars provided with a series of hooks or leatherrsup ports above its center of vibration, and a similar series below its center of vibration, all arranged in relation to a tanning-vat and for;

operation substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. 'The combination, with a suitable actuating mechanism, of a pair of journaled bars provided with a series of hooks or leather-supports above its center of vibration, and a similar series below its centerof vibration, each hook of which lower series is in a'difierent transverse plane in relation to its carryingbar from the hooks of the upper series, all arranged in relation to atanning-vat and for operation substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with a'centrally-jourualed bar or bars provided with two serieso'f hooks, one upon each side of the center of such bar, and the hooks of each series alternately arranged in relation to t-hose'of the other series of each bar, of a connecting-rod between the said bar or bars and the drivingshaft, that is adapted to be attached and detached at will, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4... In combination with asuitable driving means, a pair of journaled bars, 0 D, having hooks E, and each provided with rigid arm's F, connected by rod K, and a connecting-rod,

G, between its arm F and the driving means,

which connecting-'rodis adapted to be removed from its operative connection, substantially as described. 7

In testimony thatv I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in the presence of two witnesses, this 25thday'of October, 1886.

RUDo-L'PH J. MEISER."

WVi tnesses:

WM. 0. HARINKEL, FRED KRAUS.

IQO 

